Are you looking for an alternative to university? Or perhaps you're thinking of changing careers and you're keen to do something a bit more hands-on? Either way, our training courses are exactly what you're after!

Here at Access Training Academies, we offer a range of short and intensive training courses that are designed help you start your new job quickly, even if you've no prior trade experience to speak of. We can help you to get qualified in a number of different professions, including:

Our extensive course catalogue has something for everyone, and we tailor our training programmes to fit your needs and lifestyle. Whether you're looking for an intensive fast-track course or something that allows you to study alongside your present job, we can help you find the best way to learn. Our aim is to get you qualified as quickly as possible so that you can begin your new career and start earning right away.

If this sounds like the right choice for you and you'd like to get started on the road to your new job, please do not hesitate to contact our course advisers!

With most people now working well into their 60s (if not later), it's important to choose a career that you're likely to enjoy. As those who have taken an Access Training electrical coursewill know, electricians make good money, often get to choose their own hours, and are in very high demand in the UK right now. But is being an electrician fun? Is it a job that people genuinely enjoy, or just another way to pay the bills?

The answer mostly depends on what you personally enjoy doing. We find that most of our graduates very much enjoy their new line of work, but it's good to find out if it’s something you’ll like before you start your electrical training.

With that in mind, here are few things to consider:

Do you find fixing things rewarding?

One of the things electricians most enjoy about their job is the satisfaction of fixing things. Having to work out what’s wrong and then correct the problem takes a lot of knowledge – if you like problem solving, you’ll probably find being an electrician fun!

Do you like being active?

You may not realise what an active life electricians lead. A typical day can include climbing up and down stairs, scaffolding and ladders many times. You may also have to crawl into small places. Either way, you'll need to be in relatively good shape. It’s far from an office job, so if you don’t like getting up and about then you may not find the job too fun.

Do you want a job with variety?

Being an electrician gives you the freedom to explore new work every day. You aren’t confined to one place and this means you’ll have lots of different experiences and meet lots of different people. Many electricians love that they constantly get to switch up their daily routine, finding a lot of fun in the diversity of the job.

The steps to retrain and start a new career aren't quite as hard as many people think, but there's always one obstacle that makes the decision much harder than it needs to be - fear. The fear of it not quite working out, the fear of what other people might think of your new career path, the fear of struggling to find (and pass) the training you require...these and many other fears are preventing people from making their dreams come true. However, these fears will only stop you if you let them, and this can be avoided with three simple steps to helping that dream career become a reality.

Play to your strengths

The various construction/trade industries all rely on different skillsets that realistically may or may not be suitable. Trades such as bricklaying or plastering place greater emphasis on physical strength and stamina, while electrical and gas engineering training require more theory knowledge and calculating skills. Knowing what you excel at is the key to making your new career a success, but be sure to also do a good amount of research into your potential new career before starting down the path. What qualifications do you need? Where can you train? What will the course entail? These are the kind of questions you should be asking, and ones that our team of course advisors would also be happy to answer for you.

Take it one step at a time

Even if you're dead-set on what you want to do with your life, the thought of rushing into a new career can still be incredibly daunting. At the same time, procrastinating can also doom something to failure before it's even gotten properly off the ground. Don't just make a website or twitter and then leave it to die; instead, wait until you're good and ready to do things like that . Take it slowly - we've already mentioned research, so move on to writing your goals down on paper. Discuss your plans with friends and family - you never know, they might have work that needs doing that you can eventually take on or even have some handy contacts in the industry. Come to one of our training centres, have a look around, and discuss your needs with our course advisors. Then, when you feel ready, you can book the date for your training course and have plenty of time to prepare yourself.

Prepare a safety net

While we by no means think failure is a likely thing (in fact, we're confident it'll be quite the opposite), it would be wrong of you to not prepare for the worst just as a precautionary measure. Make sure you have an idea of where you could turn for a job should your new career not turn out the way you expect, and then once that's written down, keep it safe and you need never think about it again unless it comes up. It's also good to be sure you have ample finances to keep yourself afloat while you're training. If you're currently employed you might want to hold onto that job for as long as possible while you retrain. This is why we've made our courses flexible - so that you can train when you have the time.

That should get some of the fear out of the way! Now, here are some very real facts that demonstrate why now is the time to start a new career as a professional plumber, electrician, gas engineer or construction worker. The UK is always short of professional tradespeople to perform all kinds of domestic installations and fixings, and with new housebuilding on the rise that shortage is only going to increase. There simply aren't enough bricklayers, plasterers, carpenters and tilers around to help set the houses up, and even when there are, where are the electricians, plumbers and decorators who are able to turn that house into a home?

Construction/trade careers are cited among the happiest around, offering the right level of challenge to match the skills required. The hours and pay rate are enviable too, especially if you choose to go self-employed!

Still, there's no wrong time to start a new career. These trades aren't just a young man's game, nor are they something best suited only to older people; if you've got the drive and dedication to earn your qualifications and make the dream come true, then you're exactly what employers are looking for.

To find out more about what's on offer here at Access Training, give us a call on 0800 345 7492. Keep your end goal in sight, and then not even fear will be able to stop you.